DOCSLIB.ORG

P993 Home Canning Questions and Answers

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
P993 Home Canning Questions and Answers Home Canning: Questions and Answers Q. What causes jars to break? the point of contact. To prevent impact breaks: A. Several types of breaks can occur. Each break looks different and has • Handle jars carefully. Jars that a specific cause. have been dropped, hit, or bumped break easily. Test new Thermal shock is characterized by a jars that may have been mishan- crack running around the base of dled (to see if they break) by the jar, sometimes extending up the immersing them in room-temper- side. To prevent thermal breakage: ature water, bringing to a boil, • Avoid sudden temperature and boiling 15 minutes. changes, such as putting hot food • Avoid using metal tools to in a cold jar, putting a cold jar in remove air bubbles. hot water, or placing a hot jar on a cool or wet surface. Keep jars in • Avoid using old jars. Jars have a hot water until filled. life expectancy of about 10 years. • Use a rack in the canner. • Avoid using metal knives or spat- ulas to remove air bubbles or steel wool pads to clean jars. An internal pressure break begins on the side of the jar. It is in the form of a vertical crack that forks into two fissures. To prevent pres- sure breaks: • Provide enough headspace in jars for food to expand when heated. Q. How can I know if a jar of canned • Keep heat steady during process- food is sealed? ing. A. Cool jars for 12 to 24 hours, • Avoid reducing canner pressure remove the screwbands, and test under running water or lifting the seals with one of these options: pressure control or petcock before pressure drops to zero. • Press the middle of the lid with a finger or thumb. If the lid springs Impact breaks start at the point of up when you release your finger, impact, and fissures radiate from the lid is not sealed. • Tap the lid with the bottom of a teaspoon. If • Leaving too little headspace, letting pressure it makes a dull sound, the lid is not sealed. in pressure canner fluctuate, or lowering the If food touches the underside of the lid, it pressure too suddenly. In all of these cases, will also cause a dull sound. If the jar is food particles may be forced between the jar sealed correctly, it will make a ringing, high- and lid, causing sealing failure. pitched sound. • Leaving too much headspace may prevent • Hold the jar at eye level and look across the sealing because the processing time was not lid. The lid should be concave (curved down long enough to exhaust all the air from the slightly in the center). If the center of the lid inside of the jar. is flat or bulging, it may not be sealed. • Not removing air bubbles can have the same Q. When should lids effect as leaving too much headspace. with screwbands be • Putting screwbands on too tightly. tightened on the jars? • Tightening screwbands after removing jars A. Before placing filled from canner. jars in the boiling water- bath canner or pressure- • Reusing lids. Use flat metal lids only once. canner, tightly screw • Defective lids. down screwbands and leave in this tightened • Using commercial or one-trip jars, such as position. Do not tighten for mayonnaise, peanut butter, or baby food. screwbands after processing. Tightening after These jars have slightly different sizes of processing can break the seal. sealing edges and are not recommended for home canning. Q. How tightly should screwbands be put on when closing jars with two-piece lids? Q. Can lids and screwbands be reused? A. Put on screwbands firmly so they are A. Do not reuse flat metal lids with sealing com- handtight. If you put them on too tightly, the pound. Screwbands in good condition may be flat may buckle. reused. Q. What causes lids to buckle? Q. Can food be reprocessed if it was incorrectly processed or if lids failed to seal? A. The buildup of pressure inside jars causes lids to buckle. This is a result of putting screw- A. If no more than 24 hours have gone by since bands on so tightly that air can hardly escape the food was processed, do one of the follow- from the jars during processing. Buckling may ing: cause tiny pinholes in the flat. For this reason, • Refrigerate the food and use it within 2 the food should not be stored on the shelf. days. Within 24 hours of processing, foods can be 1 refrigerated and used within 1 to 2 days, or • Freeze the food. Adjust the headspace to 1 ⁄2 reprocessed. inch and freeze in the jar or place in a recom- mended freezer container. Drain vegetables Q. What causes lids not to seal? before freezing. A. Failure of lids to seal may be caused by one or • Remove the lid and check the jar-sealing sur- more of the following: face for tiny nicks. If necessary, change the • A chip on the rim of the jar. jar. Always use a new, properly prepared lid and reprocess using the same processing • Not following manufacturer’s directions for time. The quality of reprocessed food is preparing flats. poor. If more than 24 hours have passed • Food particles on jar rim. Always wipe rim since the food was processed, discard it. clean before putting on lids. Q. When should jars be sterilized? water, or by using a fan. Remove the jars immediately when the pressure returns to A. All jams, jellies, and pickled products zero, and cool at room temperature. processed less than 10 minutes should be filled into sterile, empty jars. To sterilize Q. Why do the undersides of metal lids some- empty jars, put them right side up on a rack times discolor? in a boiling-water canner. Fill the canner and A. Natural compounds in some foods corrode jars with hot (not boiling) water to 1 inch the metal and make a brown or black deposit above the tops of the jars. Boil 10 minutes. on the underside of the lid. This deposit is Remove and drain hot sterilized jars one at a harmless. time. Save the hot water for processing filled jars. Q. What makes canned foods change color? Empty jars used for vegetables, meats, and A. Oxidation may cause foods to darken at the fruits to be processed in a pressure canner do tops of jars. Oxidation is from air in the jars or not have to be pre-sterilized. It is also not nec- too little heating or processing to destroy essary to pre-sterilize jars for fruits, tomatoes, enzymes. Overprocessing may discolor foods and pickled or fermented products that will throughout the containers. Pink and blue col- be processed 10 minutes or longer in a boil- ors sometimes seen in canned pears, apples, ing-water canner. and peaches are caused by chemical changes in the coloring matter of the fruit. Iron and Q. What is the best way to clean jars before copper from cooking utensils (or from water canning? in some locations) may cause brown, black, A. Before every use, wash empty jars in hot and gray colors in some foods. When canned water with detergent and rinse well by hand, corn turns brown, the discoloring may be or wash in a dishwasher. Detergent residue because of the variety of the corn, the stage of may cause unnatural flavors and colors. ripeness, overprocessing, or copper or iron These washing methods do not sterilize jars. pans. Packing liquid may dissolve coloring Scale or hard-water films on jars are easily materials from the foods. removed by soaking jars several hours in a Q. Is it safe to eat discolored canned foods? solution containing 1 cup of vinegar (5 per- cent acidity) per gallon of water. A. The color changes noted do not mean the food is not safe to eat. Spoilage, however, may Q. It is all right to let jars cool in the water in also cause color changes. Before you use any which they were processed? canned food that has an unusual color, exam- A. It is important to remove jars from a boiling- ine it carefully. water canner immediately when the process- Q. Why is open-kettle canning no longer rec- ing time is up. The spores of certain ther- ommended? mophilic, or heat-loving, bacteria can survive boiling-water processing. Because these bacte- A. In open-kettle canning, food is cooked in an ria thrive at high temperatures, they can mul- ordinary kettle, then packed into hot jars and tiply and cause spoilage if canning jars are left sealed without processing. Temperatures in in the hot water to cool slowly. When process- ing foods in a steam-pressure canner, you remove the canner from the heat source when the processing time is up. You leave jars in the steam-pressure canner until the pressure returns to zero naturally. This period of time, after jars are removed from heat until the pressure reaches zero, is considered part of the processing time and is necessary for destruction of microorganisms. Do not rush this cooling by placing the canner under open-kettle canning are not high enough to parts are rusty. A weighted gauge does not destroy spoilage organisms that may be in get out of adjustment and does not need to be food. Spoilage bacteria may also enter the checked for accuracy. It does need to be food when it is transferred from kettle to jar. cleaned. Open-kettle canning is not recommended. Q. Can I use a pressure saucepan for home can- Q.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • How to Make a Smell Training Kit July 3 2019
    Some frequently asked questions Q. How much oil do I need in the jar? A. You only need enough to saturate the paper disc. Any more than that is just a waste of the oil. Q. I can’t smell anything! Have I done it wrong? A. Probably not. If you’ve followed the directions, your jars should be plenty “smelly”. The saturated disc, kept in the closed space with the cap on the jar, creates a really strong smell. If you are not smelling it now, give it time. Q. Can I put my nose all the way into the jar? A. That is not recommended. Keep the tip of your nose out of the jar. Q. What if I want to reuse the jar, but with different oils? A. You can do this, but you need to give the jars a really Smell Training Kits good clean with hot water and soap. Let them dry thoroughly. The lid will smell like the previous oil (not great, but you could improvise and remove the inside of the cap, which is made of white, plastic coated paper). Then cut yourself some new watercolour paper discs and make up the new jars. How to make your own Q. Can I use cotton pads inside the jars? A. Cotton pads are not recommended. They make a great place for bacteria to collect. Watercolour paper is absorbent, but does not harbour bacteria. Contact details E: [email protected] • W: abscent.org © AbScent is a charity registered in England and Wales No. 1183468• • Registered Office: 14 London Street, Andover, Hampshire SP10 2PA © AbScent 2019 Making your own kit is easy Just follow these simple steps.
    [Show full text]
  • Guide for Labeling Consumer Package by Weight, Volume, Count, Or Measure (Length, Area Or Thickness)
    NIST Special Publication 1020 Guide for Labeling Consumer Package by Weight, Volume, Count, or Measure (length, area or thickness) Editors: David Sefcik Lisa Warfield This publication is available free of charge from: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1020 NIST Special Publication 1020 Guide for Labeling Consumer Package by Weight, Volume, Count, or Measure (length, area or thickness) Editors: David Sefcik Lisa Warfield Dr. Douglas Olson, Chief Office of Weights and Measures Physical Measurement Laboratory This publication is available free of charge from: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1020 June 2020 NIST SP 1020 supersedes all previous editions U.S. Department of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., Secretary National Institute of Standards and Technology Walter Copan, NIST Director and Undersecretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology Certain commercial entities, equipment, or materials may be identified in this document in order to describe an experimental procedure or concept adequately. Such identification is not intended to imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor is it intended to imply that the entities, materials, or equipment are necessarily the best available for the purpose. National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 1020 Natl. Inst. Stand. Technol. Spec. Publ. 1020, 40 pages (June 2020) This publication is available free of charge from: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1020 Foreword This document, “Guide for Labeling Consumer Packages by Weight, Volume, Count, or Measure (length, area, or thickness),” is based on the Uniform Packaging and Labeling Regulation (UPLR) in National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook 130, “Uniform Laws and Regulation in the Areas of Legal Metrology and Fuel Quality.” It provides a summary of labeling requirements for consumer products and commodities sold by weight, volume, count, or measure.
    [Show full text]
  • 4-H Canning Label Found at Under “State Fair” Or Located Below
    DIVISION 6036 - 4-H FOOD PRESERVATION EXHIBITS—2016 Sandra Bastin – Food & Nutrition Specialist Martha Welch – 4-H Youth Development Specialist 1. Classes in Division: 861-865. 2. Number of Entries Permitted: a. County may submit ONE entry per class. b. A member may enter one class in the Food Preservation division. (This means: a member’s name should appear only one time on the county’s Food Preservation Division invoice sheet.) 3. General Rules: a. See “General Rules Applying to All 4-H Exhibitors in the Kentucky State Fair” at www.kystatefair.org Click on “Compete,” then “Premium Book”, then “4-H Exhibits.” b. Items must meet the requirements for the class; otherwise, the entry may be disqualified. c. Items entered must have been completed by the exhibitor within the current program year. d. The decision of the judges is final. 4. Unique Rules or Instructions: a. Recipes: Entries are to be made using recipes found in the 2016 4-H Fair Recipe Book at http://4- h.ca.uky.edu/content/food-and-nutrition or contact your county Extension agent for 4-H YD. b. Canned entries must be prepared from raw produce. c. Re-canning of commercially processed foods is not permitted. d. Helpful Information for the following classes can be found on the National Center for Home Food Preservation website. e. Jars not processed by the correct method will not be judged. Open kettle processing is not acceptable for any product. f. Jars must be clear, clean STANDARD jars specifically designed for home canning. If mayonnaise or similar non-standard jars are used, the product will not be judged or awarded a premium.
    [Show full text]
  • Characterization of a Biodegradable Starch Based Film
    Characterization of a biodegradable starch based film Application on the preservation of fresh spinach Inês Antunes Gonzalez Dissertation to obtain the degree of master in Food Engineering Advisors: Doutor Vítor Manuel Delgado Alves Doutora Margarida Moldão Martins Doutora Elizabeth da Costa Neves Fernandes de Almeida Duarte Jury: President: Doutora Maria Luísa Louro Martins, Professora Auxiliar do Instituto Superior de Agronomia da Universidade de Lisboa Members: Doutora Isabel Maria Rôla Coelhoso, Professora Auxiliar da Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa Doutor Vítor Manuel Delgado Alves, Professor Auxiliar do Instituto Superior de Agronomia da Universidade de Lisboa 2016 Acknowledgments Apesar de a dissertação de mestrado ser um trabalho individual, considero que o seu sucesso está inteiramente relacionado com fatores independente do desempenho pessoal. Apesar da minha grande dedicação neste projeto, teria sido uma jornada bastante difícil de percorrer sem a ajuda e motivação que obtive de várias partes, às quais não podia deixar de destacar o meu agradecimento. Em primeiro lugar, destaco um profundo agradecimento ao professor Vítor Manuel Delgado Alves, quer pelo apoio e disponibilidade na realização dos ensaios laboratoriais, quer na motivação e interesse incutidos no projeto, principalmente aquando as várias barreiras que lhe surgiram. Seguidamente gostaria de agradecer à Professora Elizabeth da Costa Neves Fernandes de Almeida Duarte, pela sugestão do projeto, bem como à Silvex por possibilitar a sua concretização. Agradeço também à professora Margarida Moldão Martins, pelo grande auxílio e aconselhamento ao longo de todas as fases do estudo, especialmente no que respeita ao planeamento da avaliação da aplicação do filme na conservação do espinafre.
    [Show full text]
  • Biodegradable Packaging Materials from Animal Processing Co-Products and Wastes: an Overview
    polymers Review Biodegradable Packaging Materials from Animal Processing Co-Products and Wastes: An Overview Diako Khodaei, Carlos Álvarez and Anne Maria Mullen * Department of Food Quality and Sensory Science, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ashtown, Dublin, Ireland; [email protected] (D.K.); [email protected] (C.Á.) * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +353-(1)-8059521 Abstract: Biodegradable polymers are non-toxic, environmentally friendly biopolymers with con- siderable mechanical and barrier properties that can be degraded in industrial or home composting conditions. These biopolymers can be generated from sustainable natural sources or from the agri- cultural and animal processing co-products and wastes. Animals processing co-products are low value, underutilized, non-meat components that are generally generated from meat processing or slaughterhouse such as hide, blood, some offal etc. These are often converted into low-value products such as animal feed or in some cases disposed of as waste. Collagen, gelatin, keratin, myofibrillar proteins, and chitosan are the major value-added biopolymers obtained from the processing of animal’s products. While these have many applications in food and pharmaceutical industries, a sig- nificant amount is underutilized and therefore hold potential for use in the generation of bioplastics. This review summarizes the research progress on the utilization of meat processing co-products to fabricate biodegradable polymers with the main focus on food industry applications. In addition, the factors affecting the application of biodegradable polymers in the packaging sector, their current industrial status, and regulations are also discussed. Citation: Khodaei, D.; Álvarez, C.; Mullen, A.M. Biodegradable Keywords: biodegradable polymers; packaging materials; meat co-products; animal by-products; Packaging Materials from Animal protein films Processing Co-Products and Wastes: An Overview.
    [Show full text]
  • Post-Harvest Management and Value Addition of Fruits and Vegetables B.Sc
    Course Name: Post-harvest Management and Value Addition of Fruits and Vegetables B.Sc. (Ag.) 3rd Year 2nd Semester 2019-20 Dr. Lalit M. Bal Asst. Prof.- Food Engineering College of Agriculture, Tikamgarh Topic: Canning – Concepts and Standards, packaging of products Canning: The process of sealing food stuffs hermetically (air tight, protected from outside agencies) in containers and sterilizing them by heat for long storage is known as canning. It is also called as Appertizing or Appertization History 1804 Nicholas Apart (Father of Canning), a France confectioner invented the process of preserving foods in hermitically sealed glass containers and sterilizing them by heat. In honour of the inventor canning is also named as “appertizing”. 1807 Thomas Saddington, in England was first to describe the method of canning of foods. 1810 Peter Durand, another English man, obtained the first British Patent on canning of foods in tin containers. 1817 William Underwood introduced canning of fruits on a commercial scale in USA Principle and process of canning Principle: Destruction of spoilage organism within the sealed container by means of heat. 1 Fruits and vegetables are canned in the season when the raw material is available in plenty. The canned products are sold in the off season and give better returns to the farmers. Requirement of Fruits and Vegetables for canning Fruits 1. It should be fresh, ripe but firm and evenly matured. 2. It should be free from all blemishes, insect damage, mechanical injury and malformation. 3. Over ripe fruits are avoided for canning as those are infected with microorganisms and loose their texture and integrity during heat processing thereby yield a pack of poor quality.
    [Show full text]
  • Grape and Granary 915 Home Ave Akron, OH 44310 330-633-7223 G
    Grape and Granary 915 Home Ave Akron, OH 44310 330-6633-77223 G & G Beer Brewing Kit MALT EXTRACT- WITH GRAIN STEEPING GG10 G&G ENGLISH BROWN ALE Ingredients Equipment Syrup Malt Extract #1 Dry Malt Extract #2 S.Steel or enamel canning pot Specialty Grains #3 Primary fermenter w/ lid Bittering Hops #4 Airlock and stopper Flavor Hops #5 Siphon equipment Priming Sugar #6 Hydrometer/thermometer Irish Moss (whirlfloc Sanitizer tablet)Sock for Steeping Caps Yeast Capper Recipe Specifics Process Specifics Batch size- 5 us gallons Grain steeping temperature- 150-160 deg f. Total grain- 1.5 lbs Recommended Yeast strain- wyeast 1084 Anticipated SG 1.044 Fermentation temperature- 60-75 deg f. Anticipated color SRM- 21.5 Primary fermentation time- 3-5 days Anticipated IBU- 19 Secondary fermentation time- 5-7 days Boil time- 45 minutes Carbonation- 5 oz dextrose Ideal conditioning time- 4-6 weeks For a list of instruction sheets for grape and granary kits, visit http://www.grapeandgranary.com/ggrec.htm 1) Sanitize primary fermenter, Pour or siphon wort from boiling 10) Sanitize recappable beer bot- lid, airlock (preferably using kettle to primary fermenter tles. Siphon beer from primary or one-step or iodine sanitizer) (attempt to leave most of the hop secondary fermenter into priming residue and any proteins behind). container. Dissolve priming 2) Pour 2 gallons dechlorinated Add enough cold water (refriger- sugar (#6 ) in 1 cup boiling water (no more) into your boil- ated with no chlorine) to the wort water. Add this sugar mixture to ing kettle. Bring water to 150- and bring the volume up to 5 gal- the beer in the priming/bottling 160 degrees F.
    [Show full text]
  • Sweet Spreads–Butters, Jellies, Jams, Conserves, Marmalades and Preserves–Add Zest to Meals
    Sweet spreads–butters, jellies, jams, conserves, marmalades and preserves–add zest to meals. They can be made from fruit that is not completely suitable for canning or freezing. All contain the four essential ingredients needed to make a jellied fruit product–fruit, pectin, acid and sugar. They differ, however, depending upon fruit used, proportion of different ingredients, method of preparation and density of the fruit pulp. Jelly is made from fruit juice and the end product is clear and firm enough to hold its shape when removed from the container. Jam is made from crushed or ground fruit. The end product is less firm than jelly, but still holds its shape. This circular deals with the basics of making jellies and jams, without adding pectin. Recipes for making different spreads can be found in other food preservation cookbooks. Recipes for using added pectin can be found on the pectin package insert sheets. Essential Ingredients Fruit furnishes the flavor and part of the needed pectin and acid. Some irregular and imperfect fruit can be used. Do not use spoiled, moldy or stale fruit. Pectin is the actual gelling substance. The amount of pectin found naturally in fruits depends upon the kind of fruit and degree of ripeness. Underripe fruits have more pectin; as fruit ripens, the pectin changes to a non-gelling form. Usually using 1⁄4 underripe fruit to 3⁄4 fully-ripe fruit makes the best product. Cooking brings out the pectin, but cooking too long destroys it. High pectin fruits are apples, crabapples, quinces, red currants, gooseberries, Eastern Concord grapes, plums and cranberries.
    [Show full text]
  • Leyden Jars and Batteries According to Benjamin Franklin
    eRittenhouse The Art of Making Leyden Jars and Batteries According to Benjamin Franklin Sara J. Schechner David P. Wheatland Curator of the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments Department of the History of Science, Harvard University [email protected] Abstract The Leyden jar was arguably the most important instrument for electrical experiments in the second half of the 18th century, and Benjamin Franklin’s fame as a natural philosopher was based largely on his explanation of how it worked. In two remarkable letters written in the 1750s to scholars in Boston, Franklin offers instruction on the making of Leyden jars and assembling them into batteries. The letters also illustrate the challenges of getting and maintaining natural philosophical apparatus in colonial America, and a culture of recycling goods in order to make do. In the 1750s, Benjamin Franklin sent supplies and instructions for making Leyden jars to James Bowdoin, a Boston merchant and statesman interested in natural philosophy,1 and to John Winthrop, Hollis Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at Harvard College. Given the importance of Leyden jars to the development of Franklin’s own electrical theory, we are curious to know how Franklin made his own and what his recommendations might have been. The letters also illustrate the culture of repurposing goods and bricolage that was part of early modern science, particularly in the American colonies.2 1 James Bowdoin (1726-1790) was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1753 and in 1757 began decades of service in the Council. His later leadership positions included governorship of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1785-1787.
    [Show full text]
  • Grape and Granary 915 Home Ave Akron, OH 44310 330-633-7223 G
    Grape and Granary 915 Home Ave Akron, OH 44310 330-6633-77223 G & G Beer Brewing Kit MALT EXTRACT- WITH GRAIN STEEPING GG60 CHERRY FRUIT ALE- GG Ingredients Equipment Cherry Fruit Puree #1 S.Steel or enamel canning pot Malt Syrup Extract #2 Primary fermenter w/ lid Malt Syrup Extract #3 Airlock and stopper Bittering Hops #4 Siphon equipment Priming Sugar #5 Hydrometer/thermometer Whirlfloc Tablet Sanitizer Yeast Caps Capper Recipe Specifics Process Specifics grain steeping temperature- No steeping batch size- 5 us gallons recommended Yeast strain- wyeast 1056 total grain-0 lbs fermentation temperature- 60-75 deg f. anticipated SG 1.042 primary fermentation time- 3-5 days anticipated color SRM- 5 secondary fermentation time- 7-14 days anticipated IBU-14 carbonation- 5 oz dextrose boil time- 45 minutes ideal conditioning time- 4-6 weeks For a complete list of instruction sheets, visit http://www.grapeandgranary.com/ggrec.htm 1) Sanitize primary fermenter, Pour or siphon wort from boiling 10) Sanitize recappable beer lid, airlock (preferably using EZ kettle to primary fermenter bottles. Siphon beer from clean or iodine sanitizer). (attempt to leave most of the hop primary or secondary fermenter residue and any proteins behind). into priming container. Dissolve 2) Pour approximately 2 gallon Add enough cold water (refriger- priming sugar (#5) in 1 cup dechlorinated water into your ated with no chlorine) to the wort boiling water. Add this sugar boiling kettle. Bring water to a and bring the volume up to mixture to the beer in the boil. 5 gallons. priming/bottling container. Stir well but do not splash.
    [Show full text]
  • Canning Smoked Fish at Home
    PNW 450 Canning Smoked Fish at Home Barbara Rasco, Carolyn Raab, and Sandra McCurdy Introduction Smoked fish is a delicacy in the Pacific Northwest. Whether the fish is caught or purchased, it can be smoked and canned successfully at home. This bulletin provides instructions for lightly smoking fish in preparation for canning and for the canning process itself. Another bulletin, Smoking Fish at Home—Safely , PNW 238, provides instructions for fully smoking and heating fish that is safe to eat without further treatment. Those instructions, however, produce a fish that tends to be too dry and strong-flavored after canning. Fish is highly perishable, and even smoked fish has a short shelf life. Refrigerator storage of fully smoked fish is limited to 2 weeks. For long-term storage, smoked fish must be frozen or canned. Freezing is a quality storage option, but canning is preferred by many people who smoke fish at home. Canning smoked fish requires a processing time of 110 minutes in a home pressure canner to destroy Clostridium botulinum spores and guarantee safety. This lengthy heating time means that the quality of home-canned smoked fish will differ from that of smoked fish that has not been canned. Canning tends to cause moisture loss from the fish, alter its color, and intensify the smoked flavor. However, it’s not safe to reduce the processing time to lessen these undesirable Photo by Nellie Oehler quality changes. Instead, you reduce the amount of heat applied during the smoking procedure prior to canning. Otherwise, the canned smoked fish will be too Contents dry and the smoke flavor may be too strong.
    [Show full text]
  • How to Can Food: the Basics
    Extension HYG-5338-02 FHuman Nutrition,actSheet 1787 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 Canning Basics ethods for canning foods at home have changed greatly should be processed in a boiling water canner or pressure canner. M since the procedure was first introduced almost two cen- The lower the pH, the more acidic the food. turies ago. Since then, research has enabled home canners to Acidic foods have pH values below 4.6. These foods include simplify and safely preserve higher quality foods. Knowing why pickles, most fruits, and jams and jellies made from fruit. (In canning works and what causes food to spoil underscores the pickling, the acid level is increased by adding lemon juice, citric importance of following directions carefully. acid, or vinegar.) Acidic foods contain enough acidity either to stop the growth of botulinum bacteria or destroy the bacteria How Canning Preserves Foods more rapidly when heated. Acidic foods may be safely canned in Invisible microorganisms are all around us. Many are ben- a boiling water canner. eficial; others are harmful. All foods contain microorganisms, Low-acid foods have pH values higher than 4.6. They do not the major cause of food spoilage. Using heat to destroy microor- contain enough acid to prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria. ganisms, proper canning techniques stop this spoilage. During These foods are processed at temperatures of 240 degrees F to the canning process, air is driven from the jar and a vacuum is 250 degrees F, attainable with pressure canners operated at 10 to formed as the jar cools and seals, preventing microorganisms 15 pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure.
    [Show full text]